Spinning

If I could describe my saving grace in life right now – it could be summarized in one word: spinning. I know everyone thinks spinning is for chicks who are out of shape and too lazy to run, but they are so very wrong. Take a spin class with me and my friends and see for yourself. You will likely not make it through without nausea or needing to take a breather. Us girls go three times a week. So there.

I do my best thinking in spin class, actually. The teachers are so inspiring, the music is so bellowing – the whole experience swallows me whole. When I’m spinning I can do anything, be anyone, and reset standards for myself. It’s true. I was in spin class tonight and we were climbing a hill – a big hill. My teacher asked us to isolate, which means not to use any other part of your body but your legs to climb the hill, with a lot of resistance, which would give you muscle man thighs if done too often, but this is for 30-second intervals which subsequently targets burning fat in my thighs, which I could use. So I always try to isolate well.

As I was isolating, I started to feel the intense burning sensation in my top thighs, nearing my pelvis. It was almost unbearable until my teacher said, “That’s just lactic acid, it will go away.” Knowing it would go away helped considerably. When you’re in the moment, you want to fight back. You want to scream, “No it won’t! I’m F-ing dying here! What are you talking about, crazy spin instructor?” But he was right – the burning did go away, and fast.

I know it might sound silly and strange, but this was a comforting statement to me. Why can’t I utilize this statement with all facets of life? “It’s just a heartbreak, it will go away.” “It’s just a disappointment, it will pass.” “It’s just an uncertain time, it will go away.” Why must we all isolate and focus on one goal so intensely, just so it will pass? Do we need the build-up to appreciate the freedom? Do we need to keep ourselves so tightly wound, just so we can unravel and wind ourselves up again? Is it because humans do not have palpable enough energy to live through pain, or is it the pain that makes the “breakaway” or the stopping of the isolation to feel good. Do we need the pain to appreciate the pleasure? And, is it really pain we’re feeling, or are we all just isolated? Maybe we are all far away from important goal (s) that makes the lactic acid in our souls build up such that we want to breakaway. Maybe we reach said goal (s) after the focus, the pain, or in the grand scheme of things, the 30-second climb. Does it make the tough experience any less worth triumphing?

I learned tonight that I’m going to make a vested interest into “isolating” my soul. I want to isolate until I am able to make my wishes come true and breakaway, just so I can wish again. Because at the end of the day, a wish is simply a heartfelt goal and when you’re a single 24-year-old undiscovered writer, what isn’t a wish?

“A dream is a wish your heart makes…” – Cinderella

Isolate something today. Just try it. You just might move mountains – even if you’re on a stationary bike.